The four flashpoints of small boats bill as Rishi Sunak faces Tory rebellion lead by Theresa May© Provided by The i

Controversial plans to address the small boats crisis are set to become UK law after the Government defeated a final challenge posed by the House of Lords.

In a drama-fuelled night, the Tory frontbench successfully thwarted five further challenges from peers in Westminster, including modern slavery protections and child detention limits.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby – who has heavily criticised the bill – dropped his demand for a statement on tackling the refugee problem and human trafficking to the UK after MPs rejected a similar proposal.

This unexpected conclusion to the parliamentary struggle over the reforms – which had threatened to continue until the summer recess – now clears the path for the bill to receive Royal Assent.

The new laws play a central role in Rishi Sunak’s strategy to deter people from making dangerous Channel crossings in small boats.

They aim to prevent people from claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive via unauthorised means.

Additionally, the Government hopes these changes will expedite the removal of detained individuals either to their home country or to Rwanda, which is currently undergoing a legal challenge. 

Similarly, the Government was accused of seeking to inflict a “punishment beating” on peers for challenging the proposals.

Ministers urged the Lords to allow the bill through the Commons, with Home Office minister, Lord Murray of Blidworths, saying small boats had “overwhelmed” the UK’s asylum system, costing taxpayers £6m per day for accommodation provisions.

He said: “With over 45,000 people making dangerous Channel crossings last year this is simply no longer sustainable.

“If people know there is no way for them to stay in the UK, they won’t risk their lives and pay criminals thousands of pounds to arrive here illegally.

“It is therefore only right that we stop the boats and break the business model of the criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people, ultimately enabling the Government to have greater capacity to provide a safe haven for those at risk of war and persecution.”

Dr Welby agreed on the need to stop perilous small boat crossings but said he cannot see how this bill does it.

“The problem with the bill is that it has not started at the right place,” he said.

“Where it needed to start with is to have a level of national consensus and agreement on what the aim of our migration policy and immigration policy is in the long-term.” Story by Connie Dimsdale, The I